Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of the Republic of Liberia, visited Rice University April 20 and was the first distinguished speaker at the Baker Institute for Public Policy’s Chevron Excellence in Leadership Energy Lecture Series. Sirleaf spoke about new policies for Liberia’s nascent oil and gas industry and the strategic implications of the sector’s development to the region.

Sirleaf’s remarks came in the wake of the first announcement of a potentially significant oil discovery offshore Liberia as her government embarks on an ambitious program to reform the sector. It was the first time Sirleaf comprehensively addressed these issues in a public forum and was the president’s first public appearance in the United States since receiving the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize. Photos from the event are below.